Combined plug and valve for racking purposes.



Patented `lune Il, |901.

N. H. MEDBERY. CUMBINED PLUG AND VALVE FOR BACKlNG PURPOSES.

(Application med. um; 11, 1901.) (No`llodel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

WITNEEEEEI INVEN R:

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No. s7e,|95. Patented lune n, |901.

n.v H. MEDBEHY.

COMBINED PLUG AND VALVE FUR RACKUIG PUPOSES.

(Application led. Har. 11, 1901.)

2 Shees-Sheet 2.

' (un Modal.)

INVENTUR'.

hmmxmah @4g/WM? N 4 EY UNITED STATES -f PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON H.MEDBERY, OF EAST PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

COMBINED PLUG AND VALVE FOR RACKING PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,195, dated June 11, 1901.

Application filed March 1l, 1901. Serial No. 50,571. (No model.)

provements in a combined plug andvalve for.

racking purposes, the device beingmore particularly adapted to be employed in filling barrels, kegs, or other packages with beer or` other liquid containing more or less carbonicacid gas or air.

The object I have in view is to provide brewers with asimple, eflicient, inexpensive, and easily-manipulated device or racking attachment adapted to bereadily inserted in` the usual bung-hole of a barrel or keg, the construction and arrangement of the device being such that the single act of simply manipulating the handle or lever thereof through a short circular arc simultaneously opens the valve to permit the liquid to flow into the barrel and snugly secures the device in position and at the same time forcibly expands a rubber or yielding packing around the plug and against the adjacent surface of the bunghole, whereby the latter is rendered air-tight during the racking operation.

In carrying out my invention I employ a plug or casing member having inlet and outlet ducts or passages at its upper end, a hollow revoluble valve seated in the plug member having ports arranged to communicate with said passages and provided with a coarse screw-thread at its lower end, an endwisemovable nut or sleeve engaging said, screwthread, and a compressible packing mounted in the lower portion of the plug and in engagement with said nut, all as will -be more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying two sheets of draw ings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved racking attachment, showing the relative position and arrangement of the device when in use. Said figure also represents sectionally a portion of a barrel and its bunghole. tional view, inv enlarged scale,lthe bung-hole Fig. 2 is a corresponding central secbeing omitted. Eig. 3 is a similar sectional view showing the valve closed, the packing being in the normal or non-expanded posi1 tion. Fig. 4L is a side view of ythe valve member detached. Fig. 5 is a side view, in partial section, of the nut or bushing adapted to engage the lower portion ofthe valve. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the valve-casing or body member. Fig. 7 is plan View corresponding with Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 3. Eig. 9 is a similar view taken on line 9 9 of Fig. 2. Eig.v 10 is a horizontal section taken on line 1010 of Fig. 2. Fig. 1l is a similar view taken online ll 11 of Fig. 3. Fig. 12 is a vertical central longitudinal view similar to Fig. 2, showing my improved combined plug and valve in a modified form. Fig. 13 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 13 13 of Fig. 12, and Fig. 14 is a similar sectional view showing the relation of the several ports or openings when the valve is closed.

The following is a more'detailed description of myimproved combined plug and valve. or racking attachment and the manner of 0p-A erating the same. I would first state, however, that the device is more especially adapted for barrels or kegs provided with a metal bung-hole or flanged sleeve s of usual construction, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 12.

In the drawings, Adesignates myimproved device as a whole. member B is hollow or annular and provided with two tubular branch connections a b, used for the passage of air and liquid, respectively. The part a of the body immediately below said passages is slightly conical and in use constitutes the plug, its size and shape approximating that of the bung-hole opening.

The casing is reduced in diameter at a2 to receive the yielding or compressible packing material or substance r, as rubber. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) Y

Seated within the body B is the taper-fitted hollow valve or cock c, its upper end extending therethrough and having secured thereto the operating handle or lever h. As drawn the lower portion of the valve extends below the member B and is screw-threaded eXteriorly at f. The valve has an upper port c' cut through its wall, arranged to register with the said opening or inlet-passage b. The op- The body or valve-casingposit@ siti@y of the valve has a shallow longitudinal groovec2 vformed in its outer'surface,

adapted to register with the said air-passage et when the valve is open and the device in operation, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

To the bottom of valve is iitted an ,outer annular nut or sleeve n, having oppositely-arranged inwardly-extending hubs fn. at its up` ppen communication with the outer, air or .With the air in the barrel. when the device is in use.

At a point below theinlet-opening b the valve seat or body is provided with a shallow horizontal groove a4, extending, say, one-half way around. (See Figs. 2 and lO.) The valve itself has a small hole c3 therethrough registering with said groove, as clearly shown in said figures. (See also Fig. 11.) This arrangement, together with the said continuously-open air-passages e, constitutes an airvent for the valvewhen the latter is closedthat is to say, air can enter the upper end of the closed valve via the passages e, c2, a4, and c3.

The manner of operation may be described as follows: Assuming the device to. be first coupled to a suitable or flexible connection t, communicating with the tank or source of supply containing the liquid to be racked off, the operator next inserts the device into the usual bung-hole or bushing s, screwed into the barrel or keg 7c, followed by turning the `handle h to the left to its limit, thereby at the same time both opening the valve and snugly compressing the packing around the bushing s by forcing the nut n upwardly from the normal position. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) At

the same time, too, circulation is established within the valve and barrel by reason of the the small openings o3 and a4.

fact that the air freely passes from the barrel into the outer air or air connection t' via the open passages e, longitudinal groove c2, and discharge-opening o.. When in this position, however, (see Fig. 2,) air cannot enter When the package is lled with the liquid,the attendant simply swings the handle h to the right-say ninety degrees-thereby simultaneously closing the valve and retractingthe nut n, the packing r then automatically returning to its normal position, the corresponding relation of the parts being indicated in Figs. 3, 8, and 11, after which the device is removed from the barrel. It will be apparent that as the extension-pipe p is lifted any liquid contained therein will immediately flow out into the barrel, since air is in communication with;4 the interior of the closed valve through the small passages e, c2, a4, and c3, as before stated.

, -I would add that when the charging-pipe p is simply inserted freely throughthe bunghole and without a valve or packing attachment the air and gas in the barrel cause the inowing beer or liquid to Vbubble and foam to a much greater extent, thus rendering it more difficult for the attendant to accurately determine when the barrel is properly filled. In my improved device the length of pipe p is such that it is adapted to discharge the beer or liquid at or near the bottom side of the barrel. (See Fig. 1.) This arrangement,

together with the air-tight packing r, excludes the outer air, while that already in the barrel, as well as portions of carbonio-acid gas carried over by the liquid yand setfree therein,

.escape through the aireoutlet passage or tube a, thus reducing to a minimum the tendency of the liquid to foam.

In Figs 12, 13, and 14 I have represented a modified construction of my improved com= bined plug and valve or racker attachment A. This arrangement embodies the functions and advantages possessed by the device represented in Figs 1, 2, 3, 6to., before described. In lieu of providing the air-passages c2, c5, and CL4, the same have been dispensed with and similar results attained by means of an annularspace d,(communicatingdirectly with the passages 6,) formed in the lower portion of the valve-body B, said space extending up wardly and opening into avertical groove d', adapted to 'register withv a recess or pocket d2, formed in the valve c, the latter recess in turn registering with the air-outlet tube or passage ot when the valve is open. When the valveis closed, air'circulation is produced therein' through the said open passages e, d, and d3, the latter being a narrow recess registering with the valve-port c when the latter is in the closed position, as shown in Fig. 14..

In vsome cases it is found desirable to provide the racking attachment with means for readily adjusting or regulating the distance of the lower end of pipe'p from the bottom side of the barrel. In other instances it 'often happens that the size and angle of the bunghole opening will be found to vary considerably, thereby permitting the devices to enter too far before being arrested by the adjacent sides of the valve-body. In order to overcome the disadvantages just referred to, I may provide the exterior of the cylindrical portion a6 with a fine screw-thread on which is fitted an annular nut having a fiange g, adapted in use to rest upon the top of the bung-hole bushing s, as clearly shown in Fig. 12. By means of this arrangement the degree of expansion or compressibility of the packing r may be regulated as desired.

I do not claim, broadly, as my invention a device for drawing beer from a keg or barrel provided with a novel bushing or bung-hole adapted to receive a bung member arranged to be secured and packed therein, and having a removable valve-controlled slip-pipe passing through the bung, nor do I claim,

IOO

IIO

the parts being such that a single operation simultaneously secures and packs the device in the bung-hole and opens the liquid and air passages.

Iclaim as myinvention and desire to secure by United States Letters Patentl. A racking or barrel-filling device, arranged to be inserted in and removably secured to the usual bushing or bung-hole of the barrel, the said device being provided with inlet and outlet passages, an axiallymovable ported hollow valve registering with said passages, and a packing member connected with the device, the whole being constructed and arranged whereby a single short angular movement of the valve simultaneously opens said passages, secures the device to the bung-hole and forms therewith an airtight joint, substantially as described.

2. In a racking or barrel-filling device, adapted to be inserted in the usual bung-hole of a barrel, the combination of the body or easing member provided with inlet and outlet passages for the liquid and air, respectively, an expansible packing 1 mounted on the lower portion of said casing, an axiallymovable hollow valve seated in the casing having ports arranged to register with said inlet and outlet passages and having a screwthread formed on its lower portion, and a nonrevoluble annular nut fitted to said screwthread and in engagement with said packing, arranged whereby after inserting the device in the bung-hole the single act'of turningthe valve simultaneously opens said passages andforcibly expands the packing against the under side of the bung-hole, thereby too at the same time securing the device in position and forming an air -tight joint, substantially as described.

Signed by me at Providence, Rhode Island, this 4th day of March, A. D. 1901.

NELSON H. MEDBERY.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. REMINGTON, HENRY P. MORGAN. 

